Maglev is a system of transportation that uses magnetic levitation to suspend, guide and propel vehicles rather than using mechanical methods. Maglev transport is a means of flying a vehicle or object along a guideway by using magnets to create both lift and thrust, only a few inches above the guideway surface. The non-reliance on friction means that acceleration and deceleration can far surpass that of existing forms of transport. The power needed for levitation is not a particularly large percentage of the overall energy consumption, most of the power used is needed to overcome air resistance, as with any other high-speed form of transport.Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maglev